Gary David Goldberg (1944-2013)

Don Grady (1944-2012)

Enough with the Dead Celebrities...Let's Fly Away

Man, they are dropping like flies, aren't they? Things are so bad I'm forced to lighten things up with a blog post I was originally planning way back in September 2011 - when PAN AM was the hottest thing on TV. Remember PAN AM?

Well, I for one was very excited about this show. When I first heard about it, I thought it would be right up my runway. After all, I've been a fan of Pan Am - the vintage airline - since as far back as I could remember. In fact I've been crazy about flight attendants since I was a wee lad.

After all, what's not to love about Pam Am stewardesses?

Well, after watching about 2.5 episodes of PAN AM...I realized I'd rather look at old ads from the 60s than watch a painfully annoying show about bland characters.

Like this one.

Other TV shows and films tried to capture the thrill of the airline experience.

Films like COME FLY WITH ME (1963).

How great is this poster? Even in French...

And then there's BOEING, BOEING (1966)...

And the awful Gwyneth Paltrow vehicle VIEW FROM THE TOP (2003). What a stinker!

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A much better film which used Pan Am as production element was Spielberg's CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (2002), which I believe is currently having a second life as a big splashy Broadway musical.

On TV, there was the adaptation of the saucy novel COFFEE, TEA OR ME? (1973)

The ABC MOVIE OF THE WEEK version was a bit tamer.

Starring Karen Valentine and John Davidson.

Looks like the original book has been re-issued by Penguin. Didn't they used to publish classics?

Another attempt by network TV to capture the stewardess experience was the CBS dramedy FLYING HIGH (1978-79).

Starring Connie Selleca, Pat Klous and Kathryn Witt.

It was called a "jiggle show" or "CHARLIE'S ANGE:LS in the air."

Looks intense.

Apparently it's still popular somewhere...

Years later, FOX gave us THE CREW... 

 Yes, THE CREW (1995-96) from Marc (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) Cherry starring soap icon Lane Davies.

A little more racy was the British series MILE HIGH (2003-05)...

Which was kind of a throw back to the sexploitation flicks like...THE STEWARDESSES (1969)...which was in 3D.

 Or STEWARDESS SCHOOL (1986) featuring Donny Most, Judy Landers and Sherman Hemsley!

I'm not gonna go into the AIRPORT series of films, but I really must mention that the all-time best Airplane movie is, of course AIRPLANE! (1980).

But by all means, avoid the sequel...

...and avoid PAN AM. Is that show still even on?

Scary TV: Alice Cooper--The Nightmare

Before Michael Jackson's THRILLER, Vincent Price helped Alice Cooper realize his wildest dreams in this late-night special. Not really familiar with Mr. Cooper's music, I'm assuming this special was a "concept" piece based on one of his albums. Vincent Price was quite a common TV guest in the 1970s - showing up whenever a flamboyant and/or creepy old dude was needed. Whether it be sitcoms like THE BRADY BUNCH, variety specials like THE BRADY BUNCH VARIETY HOUR, adventure shows like THE BIONIC WOMAN, mysteries like COLUMBO or cartoons like SCOOBY-DOO, Vincent would always show up, do the work and earn a paycheck. He died in 1993 at 82...or did he?

We're Gonna Turn You On...

Celebrating the start of a new television season, I've decided to look back at some of my favorite shows of the past. Yawn - how many times have I done this already? Okay instead let's look at the porn versions of them.... (This blog post may not be safe for work - depending where you work.

First up, we've got THIS AIN'T GOOD TIMES - what happens when you take one of the best Norman Lear sitcoms (and a MAUDE spin-off) of the 70s and add in a bunch of women with large butts and this is what you get! As fake JJ would say "Din-E-Mite!"

Next up, we visit the Stone Age with THE FLINTSTONES, a live-action "homage" to the classic Hanna-Barbera animated series. Looks like you'll have a (not )gay old time in Bedrock! Check it out here. Perfect casting on Mr,. Slate!

Back to the 70s with WKRP IN CINCINNATI - and just like the DVD release of the original show, this parody also has to navigate around music clearance issues. Check it out the trailer.

Even Saturday morning staple SCOOBY-DOO joins in on the fun. Jinkies! See the live-action trailer here! Zoinks!

Another Norman Lear classic sitcom, THE JEFFERSONS gets the porn treatment too. Wonder what Mother Jefferson would say? Or Mr. Bentley for that matter.

And finally, everybody's favorite 80s family, the Huxtables gets a good once-over as well. Grab a pudding pop! LOL.
Has any show from my childhood escape the XXX parody craze? Well, so far no ELECTRIC COMPANY triple X. Yet.

More Random TV GUIDE Ads - THE NEW ODD COUPLE

Yesterday I mentioned the Broadway revival of Neil Simon's THE ODD COUPLE with Rita Moreno and Sally Struthers. On the small screen, THE ODD COUPLE was revived as well - with an an almost all African-American cast. Demond (SANFORD & SON) Wilson is Oscar and Ron (BARNEY MILLER) Glass is Felix. THE NEW ODD COUPLE could have been a descent show if they didn't decide to recycle scripts from the original series that were already considered classics by fans of the show. Ironically another black version of a Neil Simon play, BAREFOOT IN THE PARK only lasted 12 episodes on ABC in 1970, also airing on Thursday evenings. I'm holding out for a new version of THE SUNSHINE BOYS with James Earl Jones and Sherman Helmsly.

Selections from My Library: ARCHIE BUNKER'S FAMILY ALBUM

Selections from My Library: GOD, MAN & ARCHIE BUNKER

Celebrity Deaths Update

I've missed a bunch of celebrity deaths over the past month or so. After Liz Taylor, we lost a whole slew of talented folks including Loleatta Holloway (born 1946), Lanford Wilson (born 1937), Farley Granger (born 1925), Sidney Lumet (born 1924), Sol Saks (born 1910), Marie-France Pisier (born 1944), Phoebe Snow (born 1950), Yvette Vickers (born 1928), Poly Styrene (1957), Marian Mercer (born 1935), Jackie Cooper (born 1922), Arthur Laurents (born 1917), Dolores Fuller (born 1923), Norma Zimmer (born 1923) and Sada Thompson (born 1937).

I remember this gripping episode of FAMILY in which Sada's character awaits the results of a biopsy. A strange marketing decision by ABC shows an inappropriately whimsical logo for the series in an otherwise grim TV GUIDE ad. Notice the guest appearance by NANNY & THE PROFESSOR's Kim Richards.

Kenneth Mars 1936-2011

Having just watched (for Valentine's Day) SOMEONE I TOUCHED, an intentionally hysterical 1975 TV-movie starring Cloris Leachman and Mr. Mars in a drama about venereal disease, it seems extra sad to report his death today.

David Nelson 1936-2011

Tom Bosley 1927-2010

Barbara Billingsley 1915-2010

Wonder Woman Returning to TV?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Amazing Amazon is finally headed back to the small screen. This is not the first time this has been rumored, so I won't get excited (or alarmed) until Warner Bros. actually announces something. But anything that prevents a certain wretched "musical entertainer" from playing Diana on the big screen is okay in my book. In the meantime, here's a few classic TV GUIDE ads from the much-loved 1970s series.

Well, KING KONG was experiencing a revival and PLANET OF THE APES was still popular with kids, so why not have Diana face off against a giant Nazi ape?

Druscilla, Diana's TV sister gets caught up in a Nazi plot. In the comics Wonder Girl didn't come along till way after World War II and the character was initially young Diana before becoming Donna Troy in later Teen Titans stories.

Ah, aliens were certainly all the rage on TV at this time and the comic book version of Diana certainly encountered her share of UFOs over the years. So why not? Giant apes, aliens, Nazis - hopefully if the new series makes it to the airwaves Diana will actually face some cool mythological villains from her large rogues gallery. And maybe the current DC Comics series will revert to telling stories about the Diana her true fans know and love.

Stephen J. Cannell 1941-2010

My 800th Post!

Number 800. Hard to believe it, it seems like yesterday when I started this little distraction. Let's celebrate with a little contest.
Whoever can name all these awesome George Barris TV cars will get a copy of HBO's big penis dramedy HUNG Season One on DVD. What goes together better than Dougsploitation, crazy cars and big dicks? Good luck, readers!

UPDATE: We have a winner! The lovely and talented J.P. Johnson of Lexington, KY - the world's hottest librarian since Yvonne Craig starred as Barbara Gordon and the man behind the smart and sexy NSFW blog This and That. How appropriate that Mr. Johnson won HUNG! Here's J.P.'s answers:
1. Stutz Bearcat
2. Munster Coach
3. Beverly Hill Billies Hot Rod
4. Bugaloo Buggy
5. Green Horney (is that a typo?)
6. MonkeeMobile
7. THE Batmobile
Congrats JP!